


Coddler

by datleggy



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Sickfic, Tumblr Prompt, buck is used to taking care of himself, eddie's not having it, they're in love and don't even KNOW
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22883434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/datleggy/pseuds/datleggy
Summary: Prompt: Buck has a fever and Eddie is slightly more worried than he should be and takes care of him :)
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 375





	Coddler

Buck is absolutely covered, head to toe in mud, sweat and grime from the teams last call. Though Chim and Eddie poke fun at him on the rig, on their way back, for smelling like a literal sewer rat, Bobby congratulates him on a job well done for saving the kid who’d fallen and gotten stuck in that disgusting swamp. 

“Seriously though,” Hen says, pinching her nose. “if your butt doesn’t get into a shower the _minute_ we’re back at the station I will forcibly hose you down.”

Despite how sore and tired he is, Buck manages to grin at Hen and offer a hug, which she adamantly declines, backing away and trying to use Chimney as cover. 

  
  


Buck stumbles into the locker room and takes off all of his gear, grimacing at the amount of mud caked everywhere. He feels a hundred pounds lighter with everything off, finally. Toeing off his socks, Buck grabs a towel on his way to the showers.

He takes a steamy hot shower, rinsing himself several times over with body wash and shampooing the gunk out of his blonde locks at least twice before emerging squeaky clean.

Buck thought he would feel refreshed after bathing, but the truth is, he feels run down and achy. He dries off and puts on an oversized hoodie and a pair of comfortable joggers. It’s nearly night time now and he hopes there aren’t any more calls until morning, at least, so that he can get some well deserved rest to recharge his battery.

  
  


“Hey, rice or pasta? I’m making a late night dinner for the troops, but the vote’s split.” Bobby asks, when he spots him headed past the kitchen.

Buck shrugs. He’s not very hungry. “I think I’m gonna’ hit the hay.”

Bobby raises a brow. It’s barely eight.

Eddie looks at him like he’s grown another head. “But you’re always hungry.”

Chim nods in agreement. “Eddie’s right. Your stomach’s like a black hole.”

Buck would normally have some kind of retort but he’s starting to get chilly and the warmth of the blankets on his bunk is calling his name. Instead he flips Chim the bird and sticks out his tongue. “Night.” he waves to the rest of the team.

  
  


The annoying thing about sleeping in a room full of bunks with other people is that if you’re the first one to knock out for the night it’s usually considered a dick move to shut off all the lights unless it’s at least ten pm, and unfortunately for Buck, it’s not.

So he has to make due with tossing a blanket over his head to block out the lights, instead, burrowing under his covers. He’s _freezing_. After a few minutes he can feel himself start to drift, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier .

A dip on his bunk startles him fully awake, and he hastily sits up. “Did the alarm go off?” he asks, ready to get back into gear, even though his entire body loudly protests the movement.

Eddie shakes his head. “No, no, don’t worry, lay back down. I just wanted to check up on you. It’s weird having dinner without you.” he admits.

Buck stays upright and tries to scratch the sleep away from his eyes. “Aw, did ya’ miss me?” he teases.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Did I miss you hogging all the chicken to yourself? No, no I did not.”

Buck coughs into his sleeve, trying to clear his suddenly itchy throat. “Lies.”

Eddie frowns and leans into Buck, letting their foreheads come together.

Buck blinks, his face heating up. “Uh, what’re you doing?”

Eddie suddenly realizes exactly how close their faces are to each other and backs away, “Sorry, I was just---whenever Christopher’s sick it’s how I check to see if he’s got a fever. It's a habit.”

“Oh. Wait, fever?”

“Yeah, and it feels like you’ve got one. I’m gonna’ get a thermometer, wait here.”

Eddie’s up and out of the door before Buck can say he’s fine.

Buck sighs. He’s starting to get a headache. He lays back down and curls into himself. He’s so sleepy.

Before he can succumb to sleep fully, Eddie’s there again, sticking a thermometer into his mouth and telling him to hold it there. Buck does as he’s told, but only because Eddie’s hand, which had gone up to touch his forehead is lingering, the blunt tips of his fingers gently scratching the side of his head. It feels nice.

**_BEEP!_ **

Buck jumps a little at the noise. Eddie pats him softly before taking the thermometer out from under his tongue to read the temperature. “Jesus Buck, 102.6 degrees. You’re burning up.”

Buck blinks up at him. “Mmm, just need sleep.” he says, not meaning for it to come out as whiny as it does. He’s exhausted. “And blankets.” he adds. It’s so cold.

Eddie grimaces. “Don’t fall asleep yet, I’m gonna’ go talk to Bobby.”

Buck should probably ask why he’s got to go have a talk with the Captain, but all of his energy now is focused on trying to stay awake.

After a few minutes Eddie materializes, almost out of thin air, and he’s being dragged up off the comfort of his bunk. Buck whines outright. “ _Why_.”

“You’re sick, I’m taking you home to recover. Cap’s giving us off. C’mon, up and at em.” 

Buck sighs, letting Eddie help him the rest of the way up. He even lets Eddie put him in a pair of sneakers and then he’s being manhandled to the parking lot and inside a truck, where he’s helped with his seat belt and tucked in securely. “Good?” Eddie asks.

Buck nods, though he’s not sure what he’s supposed to be ‘good’ about.

  
  


“This isn’t my apartment.” Buck notes, sniffling and shivering as Eddie leads him inside his own home.

Eddie gives him a funny look. “Buck, you can barely stand, I’m not bringing you to your flat, where you have to climb stairs to get to bed...”

Buck grins lopsidedly. “Aw, you care ‘bout me.”

Eddie resists the urge to flick him upside the ear. “Your fever’s making you delirious.”

Despite his words, Eddie lays Buck to bed in the guest bedroom with the utmost care, making sure his pillows are fluffed and that there are plenty of blankets on the bed to satisfy Buck’s need for warmth. Eventually he’ll sweat out the fever. Hopefully.

“I’m gonna make you a cup of tea with some honey. Maybe get you some NyQuil if we still have any left in the cupboard.” Eddie murmurs, mostly to himself, as he tucks the blankets nice and tight around Buck.

When he returns with the tea and medicine Buck looks like a tiny kitten wrapped up in all the quilts and blankets Eddie owns. He sits up when he sees Eddie and takes the cup of tea, drinking it without complaint. “Thanks.” It helps tremendously with the ache in his throat. 

Eddie nods, “Here, drink this too.” He pours out a big spoonful of NyQuill and nudges it in his direction. 

Buck feels his face heat up, and it has little to do with his fever. “Um.” 

Eddie makes a face and hastily gives Buck the spoon so that he can drink the medicine himself. “Sorry, I’m so used to doing this stuff when Chris is sick; I don’t mean to treat you like a child.” 

Buck gulps down the nasty stuff around a grimace. “It’s ok.” he shrugs. “It’s actually kinda’ nice to be taken care of when you’re sick.” he acknowledges solemnly. “I usually just try to sleep it off.” 

Eddie chuckles lightly. “So you weren’t the type to whine until your parents came to coddle you?” he teases. 

Buck coughs into his sleeve and looks down at his lap. “They were busy a lot so I mostly dealt with this stuff alone.” 

“Oh.” Eddie’s surprised. He’s always pictured Buck as an energetic, maybe too-loud, but adorable little brat, always on the lookout for some kind of attention. It makes him sad to think of a young Buck, sick in bed at home all alone, with no one to care for him. “Well,” he takes the now empty mug from Buck’s hand and places it on the bedside counter, “You’ve got me now, and I’m kind of a coddler, so get used to it.” Eddie gently pushes Buck back so that he’s lying down again. “I’m gonna’ get the thermometer to check your temp one more time before I let you go to sleep, ok?” 

Buck nods, curling into the blankets with a soft sigh. He could definitely get used to this… 

His temperature has gone down but not by a lot. 102.3. Eddie frowns. Maybe some Mortin---not with the fever, but certainly with the headache he's sure Buck must be nursing. He should have stopped by a Walgreens or something on their way home; he checked his cabinet earlier and there’s none left. 

“I’m gonna’ head to the corner store for some Motrin, maybe get some soup for tomorrow, too.” he tells Buck, already getting up from the side of the bed. 

Buck whines faintly, reaching for Eddie’s wrist. 

Eddie stops in his tracks. “What’s wrong?” he leans down so that they’re face to face. 

Buck covers half his face, embarrassed. “Can you just stay? Till I fall asleep?” He's way too old to be asking something so childish, he thinks, cheeks going red. “Sorry, never mind, that’s stupid. You can go.” he snatches his hand back hurriedly. 

Eddie shakes his head. “It’s not stupid, Buck, of course I’ll stay. Here, move over.” 

Buck scoots further from the edge of the bed and lets Eddie climb aboard. Eddie wraps an arm around Buck and pulls him close. “This ok?” 

Buck nods against his chest. “Thank you.” His voice is raspy. 

“Hush. I told you, I’m here now. You’re stuck with me, so don’t go complaining tomorrow when I’m making you drink chicken broth and eat too much jello.” 

Buck smiles, half asleep already, snuggling into Eddie’s warmth. “The red kind?” 

“Yeah querido, the red one.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanku for reading! :) 
> 
> on tumblr as datleggy


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